Reclining chairs



SCP- 29, 1959 F. F. scHLlEPHAcKE 2,906,318

RECLINING CHAIRS Filed May 3, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR FRIDTJOF E SCHLIEPHACKE BY v L7/@MMM Sept. 29, 1959 F. F. SCHLIEPHACKE RECLINING CHAIRS 5 Sheets-Sheetl 2 Filed May 3, 1957 INVENTOR FRIDTJOF E SCHLIEPHACKE Sept 29, 1959 F. F. scHLlEPHAckE 2,906,318

RECLINING CHAIRS Filed May 5, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR il m r HII||HIIIIIHUHH FR'DTJOF E SCHL'EPHACKE ATTORNEY F. F. SCHLIEPHACKE Sept. 29, 1959 RECLINING CHAIRS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 3, 1957 lNvEN-roR FRIDTJOF E scHLlEPHAcKE E B,ZY.2 I l ATT RNEY 21( Sept. 29, 1959 F. F. scHLu-:PHACKE 2,906,318

RECLINING CHAIRS 1^ Filed May 3. 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR FRIDTJOF E SCHLI EPHACKE United States Patent@ RECLINING CHAIRS Frldtiof F. Schliephacke, Berlin-Schmargendorf, Germany, assignor to Anton Lorenz, Boynton Beach, Fla.

Application May 3, 1957, Serial No. 656,906

3 Claims. (Cl. 155-106) This invention relates to chairs and pertains particularly to reclining chairs having a leg rest which moves into position to support the' legs as the chair moves into reclining position.

It is an object of the invention to provide a reclining chair of the type described which is extremely simple in construction and which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a reclining-chair of the type described which is adapted for luse in the swivel type of chair commonly used in oilices and business establishments.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

A preferred embodiment of the invention selected for purposes of illustration is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure l is a side elevation of a chair embodying the invention, one side frame of the chair being broken away, the chair being shown in upright position.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the chair in reclining position.

Figure 3 is a perspective view, partly broken away.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a swivel type chair embodying the invention.

Figure 5 is a side view of the same, one side frame being broken away, the chair being shown in upright of any suitable construction, wood or metal, and may be I.

upholstered or not, as desired.

Located between the side frames 1 and 2 and supported thereon is a reclining seat unit comprising a seat 4 and a backrest 5. The seat and backrest may be ofy any suitable construction, wood or metal, and may be upholstered or not, as desired. As shown, the seat is of conventional upholstered construction having side frames 6 (only one of which is shown) connected by suitable connecting frames (not shown) supporting an upholstered cushion.

The rear portion of the seat unit is mounted on the side frames 1 and 2 for translational, reciprocating movement with respect thereto. Thus, in the embodiment illustrated, a pair of tracks 11 are formed in the side frames 6 of the seat unit, only one of which is shown, it being understood that the parts shown on one side of the chair are duplicated on the other side. A pair of rollers 13 carried on spindles 14 are mounted in the side frames 1 and 2 in position to engage the tracks 11. An abut ment 15 at the forward end of each of the tracks limits the rearward movement of the seat unit.

The leg rest 21 is also of any suitable construction,

Patented Sept. 29, 1959 either upholstered or not, as desired. In the embodiment illustrated, the leg rest is upholstered and includes side frames 22, only one of which is shown, it being understood that inthe following description of the means for mounting the leg rest for swinging movement with respect to said seat unit, the parts shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 on one side of the chair are duplicated on the other side.

The leg rest is not directly pivotally mounted on either the side frames 1y and 2 or on the seat unit, but is 'connected to the seat unit by a double link and lever system consisting of two units, each consisting of a lever and at least one link pivotally connected thereto, and each unit being pivotally connected at one end to the seat unit and at the other end to the leg rest. The lever of one of said units is pivotally mounted on a xed pivot on the side frame of the base, and the lever of the other unit is pivotally connected to a link of the other unit.

Thus, in the embodiment illustrated, one lever-link unit comprises the lever 24 which is pivotally mounted, at a point intermediate its ends, on a bolt 25 mounted in the side frame 1. One end of said lever is pivotally connected to the seat unit side frame 6 through link 26, said link being pivotally connected to said lever by pivot pin 27 and pivotally connected to the seat frame by bolt 28. The other end of said lever is pivotally connected to said leg rest sideframe through link 29, said link being pivotally connected to said lever by pivot pin 30 and pivotally connected to the leg rest by pivot pin 31 and arm 32 secured to the side frame 22.

The other lever-link unit comprises the lever 34 which is pivotally mounted, at a point intermediate its ends, on thelink 29 by means of pivot pin 35. One end of said lever is pivotallyconnected to the seat unit side frame 6 by bolt V36. The other end of said lever is pivotally connected to said leg rest side frame through link 37, said link being pivotally connected to said lever by pivot pin 38 and pivotally connected to the leg rest by pivot pin 39 and arm 40 secured to the side frame 22.

In the upright position of the chair, as illustrated in Figs. l and 2, the leg rest is in retracted position beneath the seat. vIf desired, the seat may be additionally supported by brackets 41 mounted on the side frames 1 and 2 in position to engage the side frames 6 of the seat. In the upright position of the chair, the leg rest is almost entirely concealed by the side frames 1 and 2 and the seat, and permits unobstructed access to and from the seat when one is sitting down or arising from the seat. Whenever one sitting in the chair exerts backward'pressure against the seat unit, as by pressing forwardly against the side frames 1 and 2, the seat unit will movebackwardly on the tracks 11 to the position shown in Figure 2. In doing so, the backward movement of the seat unit acting through the double link and lever system will cause the leg rest to swing to the position shown in Fig. 2. In the embodiment illustrated, the leg rest swings through an arc of about to bring the leg rest almost to horizontal position. If, now, when the chair is thus in reclining position, it is desired to resume upright position, it is only necessary to exert slight downward pressure on the leg rest, accompanied, if desired, by backward pressure against the side frames 1 and 2 to cause the seat to move forwardly, while at the same time the leg rest swings beneath the seat.

In the swivel chair embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 4 to 7, the base unit comprises spaced side frames 51l and 52 which may be rigidly connected together, in any suitable manner as by a horizontal connecting frame 53 having vertical side anges 53a rigidly connected to and forming part of the side frames 51 and 52. As previously described, the seat unit, comprising a seat 54 and a backrest 55 is located between the side frames j f 1 2,906,318 t f and supported thereon. As shown, the seat is of conv ventional upholstered construction having side frames 56 connected by suitable connecting frames and supporting an upholstered cushion. The backrest also is of conventional construction for chairs of this type having cushions 57 which may be adjustably mounted on the post 58. The base unit may be mounted to swivel on the pedestal 59 having a threaded vertical spindle 60 engaging the connecting member 53.

As in the other embodiment, a pair of tracks 61 are formed in the side frames 56 of the seat unit to engage rollers 63 carried on spindles 64 mounted in the `side frames.

The leg rest 71 is as previously described, and is similarly connected to the seat unit by a double link and lever system. Thus, one lever-link unit comprises the lever 74 pivotally mounted on the pivot pin 75 mounted in the side frame. One end of said lever is directly pivotally connected to the seat unit side frame by bolt 78, and the other end is pivotally connected to said leg rest side frame through link 79, said link being pivotally connected to said lever by pivot pin 80 and pivotally connected to the leg rest by pivot pin 81 and arm 82 secured to the side frame 72.

The other lever-link unit comprises the lever 84, pivotally mounted on the link 79 by means of pivot pin 85. One end of said lever is pivotally connected to the seat unit side frame 56 by bolt 86. The other end of said lever is pivotally connected to said leg rest side frame through link 87, said link being pivotally connected to said lever by pivot pin 88 and pivotally connected to the leg rest by pivot pin S9 and arm 90 secured to the side frame 72.

The operation of the chair, to cause it to move to and from reclining position is as previously described, the principal difference being merely that the link 26 is omitted from the modified form of Figs. 4 to 7. This results in shortening the radius on which the leg rest swings, thus making it somewhat more easily adaptable to use in the swivel type chair.

VIt will be understood that the invention may be variously modified and embodied within the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. A reclining chair comprising a base unit having opposed, spaced side frames, a seat unit located between said side frames, means for mounting the rear portion of said seat unit on said base unit for translational movement with respect thereto, a leg rest located between said side frames, and means connecting said leg rest to said seat unit comprising a double link and lever system adapted to swing said leg rest from beneath the seat to a position in front of the seat upon movement of said seat unit with respect to said base unit, said double link 'and lever system consisting of two units, each consisting of a lever and at least one link pivotally connected thereto, the lever of each unit being operatively connected at one end to the seat unit, and a link of each unit being pivotally connected at one end to the leg rest, the lever '4. of the first of said units being mounted at a point intermediate its ends on a fixed pivot on a side frame, and the lever of the second of said units being pivotally connected to the link of the iirst unit which is pivotally connected to the leg rest.

2. A reclining chair comprising a base unit having opposed, spaced side frames, a seat unit located between said side frames, means for mounting the rear portion of said seat unit on said base unit for translational movement with respect thereto, a leg rest located between said side frames, and means connecting said leg rest to said seat unit comprising a double link and lever system adapted to swing said leg rest from beneath the seat to a position in front of the seat upon movement of said seat unit with respect to said base unit, said double link and lever system consisting of two units, one unit consisting of a lever and two links, one of said links being pivotally connected to one end of said lever yand pivotally connected to said seat unit, the other of said links being pivotally connected to the other end of said leverl and pivotally connected to said leg rest, and the other unit consisting of a lever and a link, one end of said lever being pivotally connected to said seat unit and the other end of said lever being pivotally connected to said link, which, in turn is pviotally connected to said leg rest, the lever of said first unit being mounted at a point intermediate its ends on a fixed pivot on a side frame, and the lever of the second unit being pivotally connected to the link of the first unit which is pivotally connected to the leg rest.

3. A reclining chair comprising a base unit having 0pposed, spaced side frames, a seat unit locatedl between said side frames, means for mounting the rear portion of said seat unit on said base unit for translational move, ment with respect thereto, a leg rest located between said side frames, and means connecting said leg rest to said seat unit comprising a double link and lever system adapted to swing said leg rest from beneath the seat to a position in front of the seat upon movement of said seat unit with respect to said base unit, said double link. and lever system consisting of two units, each consisting of a lever and at least one link pivotally connected thereto, each unit being connected at one end to the seat unit and fat the other end to the leg rest, the lever of the first of said units being mounted at a point intermediate its ends 0n a fixed pivot on a side frame, and the lever of the second of said units being pivotally connected to a link of the first unit.

References Cited in the file of this patent i UNITED STATES PATENTS 607,293 streit July 12, 189s 2,473,895 Mednick June 2l, 1949 2,664,942 Spear Ian. 5, 1954 2,670,030 Richardson Feb. 23, 1,954 2,782,836 Krakauer Feb. 26, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 39,568 France Nov. 30, 1931 

